Friction-clutch mechanism.



No. 725,735. PATENTED APR, 21, 1903; P. H. MACK. FRICTION CLUTCH MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED No.24. 1902.

no MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

No. 725,735. 1 PATENTED APR, 2-1, 1903.

P. H. MAGK. FRICTION CLUTCH MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 24, 1902.

N0 MODEDL. MEETS-SHEET}.

UNiTEn -Ares ,ATENT Erica.

PATRICK H. MACK, OF BRADFORD, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO OIL YVELL SUPPLY COMPANY, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA. t

FRICTION-CLUTCH MECHANISM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. '7 25,735, dated April 21, 1903.

I Application filed December 24, 19Q2. Serial No. 136,473. (No model.)

To all whom it mayomwern: I will now proceed to describe my inven- Beit known that I, PATRICK H. MACK, a citition more fully, so that others skilledin the art zen of the United States, residing at Bradto which it appertains may apply the same. ford, county ofMcKean, State of Pennsyl- In the drawings, A indicatestthe shaft to Vania, have invented certain new and useful which the friction-clutch isto be applied, B Improvements in Friction-Clutch Mechanone member, and O the other member, of the ism; and Ihereby declare the following to be clutch, said members B and O being relaafull, clear, and exact description of the same, tively movable longitudinally in order that reference being had to the accompanying the friction-faces b and 0 thereof, which are [0 drawings, in whichof conical form, maybe caused to engage or Figure lis a longitudinal central section of disengage, accordingly as the clutch is to beafriction-clutch embodying myinvention, the come operative or inoperative. several parts being shown in their operative The inner member B of the clutch is prorelation. Fig. 2 is a sectional view similar to vided with the hub 19, by which it is keyed :5 Fig. 1, somewhat reduced, the parts being to the shaft A to revolve therewith, and its shown in the released or inoperative relation. outer end, which projects beyond the shaft Fig. 3 is a detached perspective View of the A, is closed by a plate or disk D, secured inner or hub member of the clutch. Fig. 4 thereto by bolts d or equivalent means. Seis a detached perspective view of the end or cured to and projecting axially from the 20 hood member of the device. Fig. 5 is a replate or diskDis a stem E, threaded for some duced transverse sectional view of the clutch distance at its outer end, as at e, for the reon the line of the oiling-port. ception of a hand-Wheel F, said hand-wheel Like symbols refer to like parts wherever F having a threaded hub (or nut) -f, wherethey occur. by thehand-wheel may be made to traverse 25 My invention relates generally to frictionthe stem E, and the stem E'having at its end clutch mechanism, but especially to that class a jam-nut e or equivalent means for limitdesigned for the application of fast and loose ing the outward movement of the handpulleys to shafting, and has for its object the wheel F. production of a simple and efficient shifting It will be noted that the stem E rotates 3o mechanism whereby the rotation of the shaft with the clutch member B and the clutch may be utilized to operate the clutch devices member B with the shaft to which it is keyed. regardless of the direction of rotation of said Consequently when the rotation of the handshaft. wheel F is arrested during the continued To this end the main feature of my invenmovement of the'member B and shaft A-in 5 tion embraces the combination, with frictiondirect driving the hand-wheel F will move clutch members which are relatively movable lineally inward or toward the end of member longitudinally, of a stem rotatable with one B, and thus cause the friction-faces b c of member of the clutch and a plurality of handthe clutch members to engage, while if the wheels, one of which has a threaded connecshaft A is reversely rotating and the hand- 0 tion with said stem and the other a like conwheel F is held against rotation it will move nection with means for longitudinally shiftlineally outward or away from the end of the ing the other member of said clutch, whereby hub B, and thus permit the friction-faces b c the holding of one or the other of said handto disengage. wheels, according to the direction of rotation, The outer or companion member 0 of the 5 will cause the relative longitudinal movement friction-clutch, which may be the driven pul- 5 of the friction members of the clutch. ley, has also its hub member 0' and friction- There are other minor features of invention face 0, and the hub 0 may be provided with residing in special combinations and particuan oil-groove c and oiling-port 0 leading lar details of construction, all as will hereinthereto, if desired. The hub c of the mem- 50 after more fully appear. ber O terminates short of the end of hub b 10c;

of member B, and at such point an annulus or loose collar G encircles the hub b of the member B and bears on one face against the end of the hub of member 0. This loose collar or annulus G is provided with a spline g, which travels in a corresponding groove longitudinally disposed in the periphery of the hub of the inner member B, so that theloose collar or annulus G is capable of a longitudinal movement with relation to the member B though compelled to rotate with said member.

H indicates a cap or hood whose inner edge bears against the side of the loose collar or annulus G opposite from that which engages the edge of the hub of member 0, and said hood or cap II. has an axial opening through which projects the stem E, which is fast on the inner member B of the clutch, and an encircling projection or annular threaded nipple h for the reception of the internallythreaded hub of the second or inner handwheel I.

Encircling the hub iof the hand-wheel I is a spiral spring in, one end of which bears on the hand-wheel and the other on the hood or cap H, which spring serves to resist the inward movement of the hand-wheel I when its rotary motion is arrested, or, in other words, serves as a brake to prevent the too rapid lineal inward movement of the wheel on the threaded nipple h when the rotation of the said hand-wheel is arrested to release the clutch.

Interposed between the hand-wheels F and I are the annular track-rings ll and interposed balls m, constituting an antifrictionbearing between the hubs of said hand-wheels F and I when said hubs are in apposition, and in order to take up slack and maintain the relation of the annular track-rings Z land antifriction-balls m when the hubs of the hand-wheels F and I separate a spiral spring a is housed in a suitable chamberin the hub of one of the hand-wheels, one end of said spring at bearing on one of the track-rings Z and the other end upon the hub of the handwheel in which it is housed.

It will be noted that as the hand-wheel I ro tates with and through the medium of the hood H and threaded nipple 72. thereof and -controls the longitudinal movement of the mem her 0 when the rotation of the hand-wheel I is arrested and the rotation of the member 0 continues the hood will if the movement of the shaft is that of direct driving travel away or outward from the end of the shaft by reason of its threaded nipple, so that the friction-faces b 0 will be disengaged and the clutch become inoperative, while if the shaft A is running reversely the holding of handwheel I will cause the hood or cap H by reason of the threaded nipple h to travel lineally inward or toward the end of the hub c,

' and thus impart to the hub c a movement inward, which will cause the friction-faces b c to engage or bring the friction-clutch into operation. The friction between the inner end of hood H and the annulus G, which latter is splined to and revolves with the member B and shaft A, taken in connection with the action of the spring, is sufficient to overcome the friction of the thread on nipple h, and so when the movement of hand-wheel I is suddenly arrested there will be a tendency to the outward lineal movement of the hand-wheel I, which movement being arrested by the hearing Z (or track-ring) will cause an inward movement of the hood H and member 0 sufficient to bring the friction-faces b c of the clutch into engagement. If the members of the clutch are properly constructed and adjusted, a movement of one sixty-fourth of an inch is all that is required to engage or disengage the clutch members.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the drawings, it will be noted that the principle involved is that of two relatively and longitudinally movable friction members, the relative longitudinal move ments of which are controlled by two nuts and screws, one of said screw elements being rigidly attached to one member of the clutch, so as to revolve therewith, while the other is independent thereof, so that without regard to the direction of rotation one or the other of the screw elements willproduce a relative longitudinal movement of the clutch members.

The clutch members B C, the stem E, hood H, and hand-wheels F and I, being constructed and combined substantially as hereinbefore set forth, will operate as follows: Assuming the parts to be in position shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings (running free) and the shaft rotating as in direct driving, it now the outer hand-wheel F be held against rotation, owing to the thread of the stem E, said handwheel will move lineally toward the end of the hub member B, carrying with it the handwheel I, hood H, and loose ring G, thus moving member 0 longitudinally inward until the friction-faces b c engage; butif the rotation of the shaft is reverse and the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 1 then the holdin g of hand-wheel F against rotation will cause the said hand-wheel F to move lineally outward or away from the hub, in which movement it will be followed by the hand-wheel I and hood I-I, thus releasing the member 0 and permitting the friction-faces b c to separate. Again, assuming the parts to be in the position shown in Fig. l and the shaft running as in direct driving, if now the hand-wheel I be held against rotation the hood H, by reason ofthe threaded nipple It, will travel lineally away from the end of the hub of member C, thus releasing the loose ring G and permitting the endwise movement of member C until the friction-faces b c disengage, while if the friction-faces b c are disengaged, as in Fig. 2, and the shaft is running as in reverse driving the holding of hand-wheel I against rotation will, by reason of threaded nipple h,

cause the hood II to travel lineally inward, carrying with it the loose ring G and member 0 until the friction-faces b c engage and the clutch is thrown into operation.

Briefly, by reason of the construction herein shown and described when the shaft A is rotating as in direct driving the clutch may be set by holding the outer hand-Wheel F and released by holding the inner hand-wheel I. Whenthe shaftis rotatingin reverse direction, the clutch may be set by holding the inner hand-wheel I and released by holding the outer hand-Wheel F.

Having thus described the nature, function, and operation of my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a friction-clutch, the combination of a plurality of relatively and. longitudinally movable friction members, and corresponding screw shifting elements one of the latter elements attached to and rotatably movable with one of the members of the clutch the other independent thereof, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

2. In a friction-clutch, the combination of a plurality of relatively and longitudinally movable friction members, a threaded stem attached to and movable with one of said members, a hood which engages the other of said members, and hand-wheels one of which is mounted on the threaded stem of one clutch member, and another mounted on a threaded nipple on the hood which engages the other friction member, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

3. In a friction-clutch, the combination of a plurality of relatively and longitudinally movable clutch members, one of said members provided with an axially-disposed threaded stem, a hood through which the said stem passes said hood provided with a threaded nipple, a hand-wheel having a nut which engages the threaded nipple of the hood, and a hand-wheel having a nut which engages the threaded stern of the first-named clutch member, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

4:. In a friction-clutch, the combination of a plurality of relatively and longitudinally.

member passes and which engages the loose 7 ring, and two hand-wheels one of which is mounted on the threaded stem and the other one on the hood, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

' 5. In a friction-clutch, the combination of a plurality of relatively and longitudinally movable clutch members, a threaded stem attached to and movable with one of said members, a hood having an axial opening for the passage of the stem and which engages the other of said members, two hand-wheels one of which is mounted on the stem and the other on the hood, and a loose spring-supported antifriction bearing interposed between the hubs of the hand-Wheels, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

6. In a friction-clutch, the combination with a plurality of relatively and longitudinally movable clutch members, of a threaded stem attached to and movable with one of said members, a hood provided with an annular threaded nipple through which the said stem passes, a hand-wheel for the stem, a handwheel for the hood, and a spring interposed between the hood and its hand-wheel, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature,

in presence of two witnesses, this 20th day of December, 1902.

PATRIGK -I-I. MACK.

Witnesses:

WM. E. DYRE, HUGH M. STERLING. 

